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Yarnies — it’s time to get your Fall on. Between last visits to the beach, final cookouts with friends and family and getting the kids ready for school, we’re all yearning to get that first sweater or shawl of the season off the needles or hook. I’ve been holed up in the dye studio working on new colorways to be released in September, but a few of them have me so excited that I just can’t wait.

Meet Gigli, a vivid Harbour Singles Fingering that captures the extinction burst of autumn colors we so love, before the trees shed their leaves for the long winter. (Rhinebeck sweater, anyone?). Pair it with Picante, a deep red glazed ochre, and you can almost feel the heat of the fireplace warming your toes, or use it with Porcino, a warm mushroom taupe.

Harvest Moon or Silvery Moon — which way do you want to go for your Ixchel sweater? Harbour Singles in Round Midnight, shown with Turmeric and Silvery Moon. Decisions, decisions.

Finally, there’s A Miasma of Mohair. I’m so smitten with dyeing Mirage kid mohair silk lace that I’m up to 14 colors currently in stock and adding new colors every few weeks. Use on its own, or paired with a companion yarn and the possibilities go on forever.

A rare five day stretch in the country and dye studio last week, with no particular plan in mind, dovetailed with the brutal heatwave in the Northeast. It’s little surprise that I ended up with a refreshing river of cool blues.

Some of the new items just added to the shop are Mystic Harbour Singles in both fingering and lace (shown with companion color Destroyed), Sea Glass Yakima Merino, silk, yak lace, Ocean’s 11 Harbour Singles Fingering, and Portsmouth Siren Merino silk lace.

Stay cool and knit on!

I wouldn’t call myself old hippie, but to be honest, I’m not exactly young anymore…and this was the music of my youth. But mostly, the color names make themselves known to me during the creation process, and who am I to argue?

Electric Ladyland is such an intense, vivid semi-solid blue that it practically vibrates. Previously only available in Harbour Singles Lace, finally in stock in Harbour Fingering.

Purple Haze comes on Triton MCN DK. Psychedelic, purple, (kiss the) sky blue — what else could I possible name this?

We didn’t live on Hendrix alone. Even if the name No. 9 means nothing to you, you might still love this layered red violet beauty. Available on Deep Sock and Triton MCN DK.

Mirage, my newest base, has me totally enthralled. Aptly named, the play of light off the silk core seen through the shimmering halo of mohair creates a magical aura of color and texture.

It’s technically categorized as lace weight, but versatile enough to knit or crocheted with a wide range of needle or hook sizes for various effects. Work on its own or combine with another fiber and the possibilities are endless.

The first five colors, shown here, are now live in my shop. More to come in the next few weeks, because I just can’t stop thinking about this stuff!

Shipwrecked, shown with Destroyed Harbour Singles (available in fingering or lace).
The Dreamtime, alongside Deep Sock in Uluru.
And Clockwise from top left Painted Lady, The Moors, Shipwrecked and Lorelei.

Wouldn’t it be fun…? Famous last words. A sudden whim to spend my 2016 winter vacation dyeing some yarn. A new way to indulge my fiber addiction, as if knitting, crocheting and machine knitting wasn’t enough. Oops! By day two, I was making silent deals with myself that if I still loved this in a year I’d open a shop.

Fast forward 18 months — I’ve spent every spare minutes up to my elbows in blue rubber gloves, developing color formulas, testing new techniques, trying new bases. My passion for color and my need to experiment grows with each passing week.

And this spring, Murky Depths Dyeworks was born. I’m currently stocking seven bases, with new colors and bases coming all the time. I’d like to introduce you to just a few:

Deep Sock: 80% Superwash Merino/20% nylon, a soft, springy 2-ply yarn with great stitch definition. Next-to-skin softness makes it perfect for garments and added nylon makes it suitable for socks and other hard wearing items.

Harbour Singles Fingering: 100% Superwash Merino, a tightly twisted single with a soft halo and slight sheen.

Triton MCN DK: 80% Superwash Merino/10% Cashmere/10% nylon, because a little Cashmere makes everything better! This one is so soft and squishy, I can barely keep my hands off it.

Sanctuary Worsted: 100% Merino. While Superwash wool has its place, I knew I wanted to go with an untreated base for this. Nothing beats the cozy softness of a warm sweater, hat or pair of mittens when the winter winds are blowing.

I look forward to sharing more of my passion in the weeks and months to come.